Pipe cutter



Oct. 7,- 1930. s. o. BRADEN ,7 3

PIPE CUTTER Filed Jan. 14, 1928 A TTORAf-E y Patented Oct. 7, 1 930 twin-"sun's SAMUEL o. BRADEN, or nnumnren'r, okLAnomA PIPE cu'r'rnn Application m January 14, 19a. sen ing. 246,717. r

This invention relates to pipe cutters and it is especially designed tocut pipe or tubing from the inside. There are many instances where the pipe, if out at all, must be out from 5 the inside instead of from theoutside, because when the pipe is in use, it is notfeasible or convenient to apply the cutter to the outside of the pipe. I My invention particularly coinprehends 1 the provision of means for cutting'pipe or tubing in an oil well, butin so far asthe specilic construction of my invention is concerned, I wish not to be limitedto any par ticular application of the cutter.

It frequently happens that oil-wellpipe or tubing sticks or freezes in the hole at' a considerable depth so in order to save the remaining portion of the pipe or tubing, it must be severed above the point where the freezing or sticking occurs. It is not'always 1 feasible or convenient to cut from the outside so I have provided a cutter which can be lowered into the pipe or tubing to' any depth, the cutter having expanding cutting tools which, in their collapsed form, will be within the diameter of the head or stock which carries them, but which when the cutter is lowered to the proper depth can be tions to cut the pipe from theinside and which may be retracted when the cutting is accomplished so the cutting tool may be conveniently withdrawn from the well.

In order to understand my inventionreference should be had to the accompanying drawings in which: V p

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through a well containing pipe or tubing in which my invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the cutting tool.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view ofthe head, the cutter bars and the links connecting the cutter bars to the head.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, designates the oil well progressively expanded into cutting posi- Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one member and 2 the tubing therein. Within the tubingif I i 2, I may lower thecutting tool." 'It is shown as consisting of atube3 having a threaded 1 en'dt to receive a collar 5 by ine'ans of which it may be fastened to a tube suspended from the top of the well so that it may be introduced into and removed from the well. "Resting upon the end 6, of the tube 3, is a flange 7 of the depending tubulartrap 8 which may catch any solids gravitating from the top of 0 the well. The trap 8 is provided with. openings 9 through which fluid pressure may pass into the tube 8. l Fastened to the IoWerendofthetube 3 is an elongated collar 10 having a lining therein, indicated-at11. Movable longitudinally C in the lining'is apiston 12 having alstem 13projecting through the end 1 1" carried by the member 10. A coil spring 15 surrounding the piston rodor stem 13hasone endm bearing against the piston 12and the other against the blockor endl l; the expansive. force of thespringtending tonormally force 1 the piston to the upper end of the' collar or.

guide 10. Tl1 C0llaI'TOr guide .isninternally threaded at 16 to receive the two thread- 2 ed ends of the members 17 and'18 of the cute ten-bar guide. The membersil'lr and .18; are duplicates, only one being shown Figure 41'; Each member has abore19 communicat- 801. ing with arcuate cutter bar guide 1 grooves 20 and 2l, the en'ds o f the rooves iterminati ng in ope'nings 22'and 23 in file wall of theguide. The lower end of each member "17. and 18-is provided with a threadedportion 2 1F130 re- 85 ceive a thimble25 so thatwhen the two niem-r ber's17and 18 are screwed into the conical threadedportion 16. and: the thimble. 25, having a conical threaded portion26, is screwed:

members 17 and 18, the. cutterJba-r guidemor housing will bewj oined together. The members 17 and 2 18 may be additionally secured together by 'a' transverse .bolt -27: extending through one of. the members and engaging; a threaded recess 28in the other memberxi 1 On theend'of' the piston rod 13, within'the bore =19,";isialreceptory head 29havinga bifurcated end 30 in: the bifurcation 'of .which loo tened to the head 29 by the pin 33. The lower ends of the links 31 and 32 are loosely connected at 3 1 and 35 to the segmental or arcuate cutter bars 36 and 37 which lie in the guide grooves 20 and 21 and which are provided with shoulders 38 and 39 to contact one with the other of the bars to limit their expanding movements. The outer ends of the bars 36 and 37 have cutters 4:0 and 11 adapted to project through the openings 22 and 23 in the guide consisting of the members 17" and 18. Any appropriate cutter may be carried by the ends of the bars 36 and 37, but I have indicated simple forms of cuttingtools on the ends of the bars 36 and 37 merely by way of illustration.

When it is desired to cut the pipe or tubing, the tool is lowered into the well, inside the tubing, where it will be suspended from a string of hollow rods or pipe until it reaches theproper depth. Then fluid pressure will be, introduced through the hollow rods or pipe forcing the piston 12 against the spring 15, forcing the cutter ends (which up to this time are within the guide) out through the openings 22 and 23 to contact with the pipe to be 'cut. Then the tool, through the medium of the supporting hollow string of rods or pipe, willbe turned or rotated from the top of the well to perform the cutting operation, it being understood during all this time fluid pressure is being exerted against the piston 12 to maintain the cutters in intimate contact with the pipe. When the cutting operation has been completed, fluid pressure will be relieved on the piston so that the spring can retract the cutters within the tool housing, permitting the tool to be withdrawn from the well.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the pipe can be conveniently cut from the inside, that the tool can be introduced into a pipe having an internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the tool, that the cutting can be efliciently performed and the tool can be conveniently withdrawn after the'cutting operation.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An internal pipe cutter comprising a guiding member having intersecting arcuate guiding grooves, overlapping arcuate cutter bars in the grooves having cutting edges projectable through the guiding member and an actuating member; for simultaneously actuating the cutter bars.

2. An internal pipe cutter comprising a guiding member having intersecting arcuate guiding grooves, overlapping arcuate cutter bars in the grooves having cutting edges projectable through the guiding member, an actuating member for actuating the cutter bars to project their ends through the guiding member and means for retracting said bars within the guiding member. 

